Improvement in snap-hooks



. w. LYNCH.

SNAP-300K. f Nol. 179,418. Patented July 4..v1.s1s.

WITNESSES v IJV'VENTOR FLPETRS, PHDTO-LITHDGHAPHL WASHINGTON: D. C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW W. LYNCH, OF MADISON, VISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SNAP-HOOKS.

l Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,4 [8, dated July4, 1876; application tiled May 24, 1875.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MATTHEW W. LYNCH, ofMadison, in the county of Dane and State of' Wisconsin, have invented anew and Improved Snap-Hook and I do hereby declare the following to be afull and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, forming part ot' this specification, in which-Figure l is a perspective view ot' my improved snap-hook applied to astrap. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same 5 and Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the spring-catch, detached from the hook.

Similar let-ters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote thesame parts. 4

My invention has for its object to improve the construction ot'snap-hooks for harnesses; and to this end it consists in providing asnap-hook whose catch or tongue opens outward, with a rigid stud uponthe back, and with a loop at or near each end for the purpose ot'adapting the snap-hook for adjustment upon its strap and to hold bothits ends rmly down to the latter when the catch is being opened by anoutward pull upon it.

In the accompanying drawings, A is the snap-hook, cast, or otherwiseconstructed, with two cheek pieces, b b, between the bend of the hookand the end loop C. D is the catch, pivoted between the cheeks so thatits outer end shall .bear against the point ot' the hook, as shownrinFigs. 2 and 3. The inner end of the catch is formed with a side recessto inclose a coiled or spiral spring, E, which is coiled upon the pivot,and exerts its tension to hold the outer end of the catch against thepoint of the hook. The outer edge f of the catch is made ot' sufficientwidth to entirely lill the space between the two cheek-pieces, for thepurpose of excluding dirt, snow, and other substances which wouldinterfere with the proper working of the hook. The spaces at oppositeends ot' the cheek -pieces are also closed for this purpose, as shown inFig. 2. The cheekpieces are made ot' suiicient depth to admit of therequisite movement ot' the catch in applying and releasing a strap, itsoutward swing being shown by the dotted linesin Fig. 2. To release astrap from the hook portion ofthe snap it is only necessary to pull thestrap directly outward, when the catch will yield and the strap slipoft' its point, as will be readily understood.

For the purpose of attaching the sliapliook to a strap, G, and adaptingit for adjustment thereon, I provide it with a second loop, H, at theback portion ot' the hook, and with a short tongue, I, to enter theholes ofthe strap, as shown. The second loop holds the hook end downupon the sti ap, and therefore prevents the tongue from slipping out ot"the holes. To adjust the snap-hook upon the strap the latter is looseneda little between the two loops C H, so that the tongue may escape fromthe holes, when the hook is moved to a new position, and the strap againtightened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The snap-hook,having the outwardly-Opeliing catch or tongue, provided with the rigidstud I upon the back, the loop C at the end of the shank, and the loop-H at the beak of the hook, substantially as described, for the purposesspecified.

MATTHEW W. LYNCH. Witnesses:

E. A. ELLswoRTH, T. MGKENNY.

